The Bessonneau structure, better known as the Lincoln Hotel, is astonishing for several reasons.
Built between 1917 and 1921, this structure underpins and guides the planning of Casablanca that began in the first decade of the 20th century. This planning established Boulevard de la Gare (now Boulevard Mohammed V) as a major axis.
Emphasis was placed on the need to make historical traces an asset for the future of the city.
The Bessonneau building, designed by Hubert Bride and housing around sixty apartments and a public bath at its peak, quickly attracted the attention of Henry Prost, the first urban planner to work in Morocco.
The building speaks for itself through an intelligent dance of shadows.
The architectural motif of its neo-Moorish façade influenced the entire urban development process of the economic capital. Prost, the author of the economic capital's growth plan in 1917, was clearly influenced by the imposing silhouette of this majestic building, as indicated by the design of the Palais de Justice façade, which was taken up and modified by the master builder, Joseph Marast, around 1923.
Traces of the past in conversation with the present
The value of built heritage as a trace of the past cannot be overestimated. Rather than an exact copy of a previous symbol, the aim is to create a conversation between the past and the future project, particularly by highlighting the architectural features and aspects of the former.
